1887.] A. Mukhopddhyaya — Note on a passage in the Mrichchhahatiha. 135 



2. Note on a passage in the MrichchhaJcatikd. — By Asutosh 

 Mukhopadhyaya, M. A., F. R. A. S., F. R. S. E. 



(Abstract.) 



In this paper the writer takes up the question as to the author of 

 the celebrated Sanskrit drama Mrichchhakatika, reputed to be the pro- 

 duction of King S'udraka. He first states that it could not have been 

 the production of S'udraka, because in the introduction very near the 

 beginning of the play, a stanza occurs, the last line of which may be 

 rendered thus : " S'udraka having attained the age of a hundred years 

 and ten days entered the fire." On the supposition, that S'udraka 

 himself was the author of the play, it is not possible to explain how he 

 could foresee the date and manner of his death. Rejecting the various 

 hypotheses that have been put forward to explain away the difficulty, 

 the writer is of opinion that the drama was not the production of 

 S'udraka, but was composed under his patronage, or possibly under 

 the patronage of his son, who is mentioned in the stanza as having 

 succeeded him on the throne. The stanza being placed in the midst 

 of a lengthy laudatory panegyric on S'udraka it is hardly possible to 

 believe that it could have been written by himself in self-praise, if he 

 was really so very distinguished in arms and letters as he is represented 

 to have been ; whilst if it is admitted that the drama was composed 

 only under royal patronage, every difficulty vanishes, and such a sup- 

 position is in perfect accordance with what is known of other reputed 

 productions of royal authors. 



Dr. Hoernle remarked : The theory of the authorship of the Mrich- 

 chhakatika, put forward by Babu A. Mukherjea, and the argument in 

 support of it drawn from the fact that king S'udraka' s death is men- 

 tioned in a passage of the introduction to the drama, are by no means new. 

 They are already mentioned in Professor Weber's History of Indian 

 Literature, p. 205. But I am glad of this opportunity to bring to the 

 notice of those who take interest in such questions, a new theory lately 

 advanced by Professor Pischel which, to my mind at least, has a very 

 great air of probability. It carries the enquiry a little further, as it 

 attempts to identify both the real author as well as the patron of that 

 play. It will be found fully detailed in the Introduction to Pro- 

 fessor Pischel's edition of Rudrata's ^ringaratilaka and Rayyaka's Sahri- 

 dayalila (Kiel, 0. F. Haeseler, 1886). According to it, the real author 

 of the famous drama is no other than the well-known poet Dandin. He 

 is now generally believed to have lived in the 6th or 7th century A. D- 

 Besides many other works, tradition ascribes to him three great works 

 " famous in the three worlds." Two of these are the famous Kdvyddarsa 



